One of the greatest cricketers of his generation, Rahul Dravid, celebrates his 48th birthday on January 11, 2021 (Monday). The Indore-born batsman was one of the cornerstones of Indian cricket in the 2000s, establishing himself as one the best players in both ODIs and Tests and is one of the very few internationals to score 10,000+ runs in both formats. So as ‘the Wall’ of India turns a year older, we take a look at some interesting facts about him. Rahul Dravid Beats Sachin Tendulkar in Wisden India's Poll for Greatest Indian Test Batsman.

Born to a Marathi family in Indore and raised in Bangalore, Dravid initially wanted to become a hockey player but his father’s obsession with cricket eventually imbedded the hunger for the game in Dravid and by the age of 12, he went from a talented hockey player to a budding cricketer. Rahul Dravid played 164 Tests and 344 ODI for the Indian national team scoring over 10, 000 runs in both formats.

Interesting Facts About Rahul Dravid

  • Rahul Dravid was born on January 11, 1973, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh to Marathi speaking parents

  • As a youngster, he wanted to become a hockey player and had represented the Karnataka junior hockey team

  • Dravid is the only Indian cricketer and third batsman in world cricket to score centuries in four successive Test innings

  • He faced a total of 31, 258 balls in his 16-year Test career and holds the record of facing most balls in the format

  • His exploits in Test cricket earned Rahul Dravid the nickname of ‘The Wall’

  • Rahul Dravid won the Padma Shri in 2004 and Padma Bhushan in 2013

  • He married surgeon Vijeta Pendharkar in 2003. The couple have two children Samit and Anvay

  • Rahul Dravid holds a rare record of scoring at least 1 Test century in 10 Test-playing nations

  • Rahul Dravid’s net worth is estimated to be around Rs. 172 Crore

The Great Wall of Indian cricket called time on his international career on March 9, 2012, following the 2011-12 tour of Australia. Following that, Rahul Dravid used his experience in helping the young cricketers of the country, coaching the U-19 cricket team and winning the 2018 world Cup along with a final appearance in the 2020 edition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 10, 2021 09:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).